The Chosen
by TheDudeLordOfFantasy
Summary: Two were the chosen. They were from different planets and different times but because of fate they met when captured by Ransik and tortured. He took Trip and got Lera as a bonus, he underestimates them. He wants to make the rangers fall...Chapter 3 is up
1. Farewell to Friends

Disclaimer: I don't own Power Rangers Time Force or Trip. I do own the mutant Intersepticore. I don't own Lera either; she belongs to LowVoice.

(A/N: I redid this fic. It was once called "The Fall of the Rangers" and it was my second fanfic but I didn't like it. LowVoice asked me to write a Fanfic for her using a character she created so I started to.

This evening however as I was trying to fix "TFotR" she came up with the idea that I combine the stories. So I did and this is what I got. I like this so much better. My writing skills have improved greatly since I started this soooooo long ago. I will most likely have chapters up faster since LowVoice is always asking for more.)

* * *

Not one of the humans noticed it. Not even the power rangers knew where the mutants hidden base was. The only ones who knew about it were the mutants themselves.

Inside the base it was quiet just like the dark and swampy outside. In the main room the pink hair mutant, Nadira, was once again doing her nails. Her father Ransik was searching through the freezers that contained arrested mutants that were being stored until their sentence had been served. Ransik stole them, along with a lot of other equipment, from Time Force headquarters. Frax was nowhere to be seen.

"Daddy," Nadira said in her extremely obnoxious voice. "We really have got to get rid of those rangers. They've been extremely annoying lately."

"I know my pet…I know," Ransik said walking over to her and patting her bright pink head. He then walked back over to the large freezers that contained the mutants. "But this time I have an idea. If we get rid of one ranger it might be enough to break them. They will eventually all fall apart and separate leaving us to take them down one by one…"

He pulled out a container looked at it carefully. He shook his head slightly and placed it back.

"But the one that we have to destroy has to be the peacemaker in their group. No one will bother stop the fights, that I am sure come to them from time to time, so they'll tear each other apart. That's when make our move destroy them."

Her eyes lit up and she smiled evilly.

"That just might work, daddy!" she said excitedly.

"Of course it'll work. I thought of it," he said smartly pulling out another container smiling slightly. "Now Nadira which one of the rangers seems to be the most peaceful and the weakest in the chain?"

She seemed to think for a second before she picked out the ranger her father was looking for.

"But Daddy isn't he a Xybrian? Doesn't that make up for being the strongest physically and aren't the rangers slightly more protective of him because of his weakness?"

"I know of his secret. I know of a way to make him the strongest of them all. Now as how to get to them, Nadira, I've already planned that out already. We know that the rangers keep in touch with the future somehow. Well I already called in a job to keep the other four occupied. I know they'll leave the green ranger to answer any calls."

Nadira looked slightly confused while Ransik looked please with himself.

Ransik, smiling maliciously, put the mutant container in the regenerator. The machine whirled for a few seconds and then out stepped a new mutant. He was around average height and had a humanlike build with long indigo hair that was spiked straight down. His skin had a slight orange tinge to iy and he wore baggy black jeans and a dull green tee shirt. A long silver chain hung round his neck, his feet were in a pair of clunky black boots, and his hands were in a pair of finger-less black gloves. He seemed to be around Trips age. He looked around for a few seconds then saw Ransik.

"Thank you for freeing me," the mutant said bowing low. "My name is Intersepticore and all my curses are at your service for freeing me. It gets quite dull in there…"

"I've heard of your doings from many. You were quite the legend back in the year 3000. Remarkable things you did…but what exactly are you able of doing?"

Looking pleases at that bit of information he stood and spoke, "I always wanted to go out with people still speaking my name. I am able to interrupt any message and create a new one in its place, which is practically undetectable. I specialize in new forms of technology of the mind and body."

"Good," Ransik said putting a hand on his new minion's shoulder. "I have plans that involve your powers Intersepticore."

He started laughing. Intersepticore looked around still smiling at Nadira who was till lounging in her chair who shared his matching grin.

* * *

Lera Smith didn't remember her home planet or even her birth parents, although she did have a worn picture of them that she always carried with her.

Her parents sent her away when she was still a child with her Aunt Rasha. They feared for her safety because of a prophecy made about a chosen one who would have powers that one could only dream of. Her parents knew that she was the chosen one and didn't want their untrustworthy government's hands on their daughter.

Rasha had taken her to the planet Earth in a small craft that was undetectable to her planet's radar. She was barely two. She never heard from her parents after that but her Aunt Rasha suspected that once the government officials found out about what they had done they were killed.

Lera often dreamed about what it would be like to have grown up on the planet Thista but knew she could never go back. Rasha often told her tales of how beautiful it was. It was much different than 21st century Earth. In Thista they had much more advanced technology and huge cities that made New York and LA seem like little walk through parks. The cities weren't even grounded and were up in the sky.

Rasha didn't even tell Lera about the reason that they were on Earth until she was seventeen. On her seventeenth birthday she explained about how she was the chosen one and how her parents gave their lives for her to live free. Lera always knew she was different from others besides being an alien. Rasha had home-schooled her so their secret of being aliens on the planet would be kept safe. Her powers hadn't manifested until two months after her birthday.

The reason they ended up on Earth was because Rasha had been in contact with its future government before they ran. They said that they would need their help and would give them safe passage to their planet. They promised that they would keep Lera safe and hidden until the time came where they'd use her gifts.

Three months after Lera's seventeenth birthday Rasha died.

She was old; almost one hundred and Lera was left alone. She ended up on the streets and worked part time in a music store. She loved to sing and listen to music so the job was perfect. When bars and clubs had karaoke nights with cash prizes she'd win almost every time. That's how she got money for food.

Her powers could be painful at times and it was hard to control them without someone to show her how.

Rasha had powers but they weren't as powerful as hers. You see her entire planet had powers to sense danger of only certain acts. For instance Rasha had the power to sense tornadoes, while her parents both had the power to sense weapons going off in close range. Lera's power was to sense all evil, all danger everywhere and she was also able to heal small injuries; anything larger than a small sprain took most of her energy and ever since Rasha died she didn't want to waste it.

Since so much crime occurred on Earth she sensed it all and sometimes it was too much for her to take and that's why she found a new joy to take her out of the painful real world…

Reading.

She loved to read and almost was always found with her nose in a book or wandering through the library. She loved the classics and would sit for hours drifting through the works of Shakespeare and chasing the words of T. S. Elliot. She wished that she could live in the world of such poetry.

All she owned was a small black backpack, which held her clothing, a small selection of CD's, a blanket, her CD player, and a small communication device from the future. She slept most nights in the Silver Hills Recreational Park. She thought they had the most comfortable wooden benches.

She was never truly acquainted to anyone from Earth so she didn't have many friends. She was quiet and most people that she worked with knew she was different. I mean how many people do you meet with bright pink hair and emerald eyes that almost glowed because they were so bright?

She was different in looks but if they knew the rest of her story would they truly understand. She never got close to anyone though and mostly only talked to herself only to hear a voice.

After Rasha died she never realized how lonely a person could be. She didn't realize that she could miss another being's contact so much. She often wondered if the future would contact her at all, but little did she know that they would be calling soon and she would meet a group of people that would change her life for good.

* * *

Trip was sitting up in the attic of the clock tower. Everyone was out doing odd jobs so he was in charge of the shop. They were expecting a call from the captain and he was there to answer it.

Circuit was recharging quietly in the corner while his master was hard at work on some new device. It looked like just a tangle of wires and metal but to Trip it must've been something more. The wires sparked causing the genius to jump and put down his screwdriver with a sigh.

"That wasn't supposed to happen," he muttered to himself trying calmly to cool the melting plastic.

Then the futuristic communicating device beeped signaling a call from the captain.

Trip wandered over to the keyboard and hit a few keys, resulting the captain's image to appear on screen.

"Good afternoon," the image said.

"Good afternoon, Captain," Trip greeted.

"Is Jen here?" the captain asked.

"No, everyone is out working," Trip said.

"Really? Why aren't you with them?"

"Because it's my turn to answer the holophone and I was working on a new defense mechanism to cloak our presence at the tower."

"They don't need your devices," Captain Logan spat out harshly. "They just probably don't want you to mess up. I mean you are the only ranger that has no talent."

Trip hadn't been expecting this at all and his voice caught in his throat.

"Captain, what…"

"Oh you didn't realize that already? I thought you were the smart one…" the captain said with a sneer. "They laugh at you behind your back Trip. They think you're a joke and are still amazed that you made it through training."

"No, that's not true," Trip said defiantly. "They're my friends and they wouldn't do that."

"I'm your captain. Would I lie?"

"No…but that can't be true." Trip shook his head. "It just can't be…I trusted them."

"Oh but it is," the captain said quietly. "You're just a stupid alien anyway. What good could you do for us humans besides taint our race? That's all the good you'll ever do us…"

The captain started to laugh.

Trip hit another button on the keyboard making the screen vanish.

Trip at for a moment with his hands holding his head up. His breathing was loud and harsh. He stood suddenly causing the bench to scoot back a few inches. He looked sharply to where Circuit perched making sure he was still charging. Then he took off down the stairs.

There were tears in his eyes and they were ready to fall. He heard a bell ring at the bottom signaling that someone had entered the shop. He didn't want anyone to see him like this, but he had to leave and the only way through that door.

He was running so fast on the descending steps that he fell down the last dozen. He rolled down the staircase noisily and hit the floor hard. He lay there for a moment hands over his hatless head.

He slightly noticed that a man wearing dark clothing was standing by the front desk.

"Woah…" a male voice said surprised by the Xybrian's entrance. "You okay Trip?"

Eric appeared at his side helping him stand but he just pushed him off holding his throbbing shoulder. His lip was bleeding and his pain filled eyes were still damp.

"I'm fine…" his voice was raw with hurt and anger. It was strange to both Eric and himself. For the short time the Silver Guardian leader had known the alien he'd never gotten truly angry with anyone.

"What's wrong Trip?" he asked seemingly concerned.

Trip was one of his favorite rangers. Ever since he protected that one mutant, Notocon, from Eric's own rage he felt that he knew him better. He felt that when Trip showed him that he was different that he had shared a deep secret with him.

Showed him he knew how it felt to be alone because they were different. With Eric it was because of his lack of money…with Trip it was because he was an alien.

With one flash of his gem he understood him.

"What is it?" he asked again. "Did something happen to the others?"

Trip opened his mouth and the anger seemed to fade from his eyes as tears once again flooded them.

"I…I…I can't stay here anymore," Trip stuttered and flung himself out the open door.

"Trip!" Eric called trying to chase him.

One thing that replaced the slight young man's lean frame was that he had plenty of speed. Even after falling down a flight of stairs he was faster than most. Eric chased him but eventually fell while trying to jump over a bush.

He called out for him again but the Xybrian wasn't turning back.

* * *

A/N: I you read the first one I have at the top of this you pretty much know what'll go down here. Please review!

You'll get more!

Thankies!

TheDudeLordOfFantasy a.k.a. Kathleen


	2. Yesterdays Feelings

Disclaimer: Okay I still don't own power rangers or Trip but I do own Intersepticore.

A/N: I know it seems like Trip overreacted but there is a reason (trust). Also Eric may seem a bit OC but I set this at the end of the season (before the time holes appeared) and to me he seemed like he was warming up to them the further it went on. When Trip risked his life to protect Notocon from Eric I think I saw a connection in both their eyes. Like Trip struck a cord within Eric and they both knew it. About Ransik knowing about them. Intersepticore is able to sense messages and can reconfigure them to make them say whatever he wants. And the rangers couldn't hide from Ransik for forever could they? He saw Wes without the mask (thought he was Alex but he had to figure out he wasn't at some point) and could've figured out who he was… Ok those are my reasons and explanations… read on if you wish…

* * *

Besides reading, another escape for Lera was in her dreams, and right now she was smiling. She didn't realize it but she had fallen asleep at work…again.

It started with her skydiving with her favorite band but when she reached the ground she found that she was no longer on Earth, but on her home planet Thista. The buildings were enormous and she spun in circles trying to see it all at once. Then she stopped and saw someone she knew very well. Her Aunt Rasha, whose long orange braided hair flew behind her as she ran to hug her niece.

Lera felt her aunt's tan and weathered skin beneath her fingertips but knew that this was a dream. She felt a vague sense of bitter-sweetness in her heart but tried to ignore it telling herself to enjoy the moment.

She tried to speak but no words came out of her mouth. Rasha smiled at her and turned around. She pointed to a couple standing from where she ran from.

The woman had flaming red hair and the man had electric blue. She tried to run to them but each step she took seemed to make her one step farther away from them. The farther she got, the darker it became and soon it was pitch black.

She stopped running and turned looking for something…anything…

Then she heard it. A loud harsh laugh.

She looked behind her and saw a large man wearing all black with metal hardware all over his body. His arms and face were horribly scarred and a metal plate covered his right eye and almost half his face. His dark hair was long and shaggy.

He kept laughing and wouldn't stop.

Lera tried to back away but this time every step she took brought her closer to what she tried to escape until she was directly in front of him. Still laughing the man grabbed her by the throat and lifted her off the ground looking her in the eye. She could only look back in fear. She couldn't breath…

Then suddenly he dropped her and she fell to the ground and rubbed her sore neck gently. When she looked up to see were he had gone all she saw was a man wearing a white uniform with a symbol on the left side of the chest. He had bright green hair and was lightly tanned. He was bending down offering his hand. He was smiling but it was nothing like the man who had been choking her moments before. His smile was kind and made her feel safe.

She took his hand and stood up. Something on his forehead flashed and she noticed that he had a gem there.

She smiled back at him and found that now she was able to speak.

"Thank you."

"No problem," he said. His voice was kind and she liked the sound of it.

"What's going on?" she asked.

"I'm not sure," he said. "I think we're dreaming."

"I think we are too," she agreed.

"But I think we're both about to wake up soon," he said. His smile slightly faded.

"I don't want to wake up. I want to know who that was and why you are in my dream, because if I'm dreaming the people in my dream wouldn't know it was a dream, but you did so it makes no sense at all." She was babbling and she slightly realized it and stopped.

"Don't worry," he said kindly. "I have a feeling that we'll meet each other again soon."

"How do you know?" she asked.

"I just have a feeling and most of the time I'm right with these things."

She didn't look sure.

"Trust me," he said in a voice that was too sweet not to trust.

"Alright." She sighed. "But how will I know it's you if I see you again?"

"How many people do you see everyday with green hair?" he laughed.

"Or purple," she added.

They both laughed.

The darkness started to fade just like their sleep fogged minds, and the lighter it became the farther they were spread apart.

"Wait!" she called to him. He looked back at her. "What's your name?"

"Trip!" he called back. "What's yours?"

"Lera!" she called back.

"It was nice to meet you!" she heard him call, but she could no longer see him.

Lera Smith opened her eyes. She was back at the music store where she worked. She picked up her head from the counter and sat up. Her mind was racing and she couldn't stop think about the man that would've killed her and the man that saved her.

That was weird.

* * *

The four rangers entered the clock tower tired and dirty, but otherwise in good spirits. They trudged up the stairs ready to wash up and make dinner. They were all wearing matching white jumpsuits and either had paint or dirt smudged on their faces.

"Trip," Katie called as she entered the main room, untying her bandanna from around her head.

There was no answer.

"Trip," she called again. She turned to her team, but before anyone could say anything an unexpected voice spoke form behind her.

"He's gone," Eric said quietly getting up from the picnic bench in front of the glowing clock face.

He stood straight with his hands behind his back. His face stern and official like it usually was.

"What do you mean gone?" Wes asked stepping forward towards the Silver Guardian's leader.

The way Eric had said that made all the rangers tense up. It sounded so wrong and worried them deeply. How could one of them be gone?

"What I mean is when I came to deliver a message from your father he ran out the door apparently upset." Eric said this coolly, as if it didn't bother him.

"Did he say why?" Jen asked starting to think Eric did something to him.

"He just said that he couldn't stay. Does there need to be any other reason?"

"What…" Katie said staring blankly at Eric.

"Why would he leave?" Lucas asked aloud.

"He's an important member of the team…" Jen put in.

"He's our friend," Katie interrupted loudly. It scared Katie that Trip would leave so wildly without an explanation.

"What did you do to him?" Katie yelled at Eric.

"I didn't do anything. If you guys are going to yell at me I'm leaving. Good luck finding your friend."

With those word Eric stormed out of the room and down the stairs. That left the four rangers to ponder why Trip left and listen to the echoing slam of the door below.

* * *

"The captain is right I am worthless," Trip muttered as he wandered on the shore of the beach. "They were always better off without me. I guess they never wanted me…"

He'd stopped once only to find that he had fallen asleep in the sand. He immediately got up and continued barely giving a thought to his dream.

Trip didn't know where he was going. He just knew that he couldn't go back.

No matter what happened he couldn't go back to the life he had before he became a part of the team.

He was so far lost into his thoughts that he didn't sense the evil lurking presence further up on the beach.

* * *

After Lera's long day of working overtime at the music store, stopping at the Laundromat, and grabbing dinner at McDonalds (God bless the dollar menu) she just wanted to chill. So that's why she was once again sitting on the floor in the corner of the Silver Hill's town library with a copy of Alexandre Dumas's "The Three Musketeers".

She closed the book with a sigh. She couldn't keep her mind on the story. She put the book on top of a large pile beside her, which contained all her failed attempts of keeping her mind off her dream.

Who was that guy in her dream? He said his name was Trip, but who was he? Was he even real?

She sighed again and pulled a worn picture out of her jean pocket. Two people were in the picture. One had fiery red hair; the other had electric blue. They were the couple from her dream. They were her parents.

She put the picture back in her pocket and stood up slowly. She put the books back in their respectable shelves, slung her bag over her shoulders and left the quiet building.

Once out in the fading sunlight she pulled the headphones to her CD player over her ears and cranked up the volume so she couldn't hear what the passing people said. But it wasn't loud enough to dull the feeling in her head sounding far off dangers for strangers to her.

She was around the center of Silver Hills and there were only a few people walking home as the shops were closing.

Instead of going to the park she had a sudden urge to see the ocean. She slept on the beach sometimes; she liked to listen to the waves, and since it was farther away from civilization she didn't have as many headaches there.

The lyrics from her CD blared in her ears and she forgot everything except how to listen.

She approached a cliff above the water just as the sky started to turn. Navy and pink streaks shown through the darkness. It was still light enough to see the sharp rocks peaking through the waves. It was beautiful. The wind blew gently through her loose hair and gave her bare arms goose bumps.

She wrapped her arms around her and wished that she owned a long sleeve shirt but she did own the next best thing. She pulled a large black hoodie over her head keeping the hood up to partially hide her face.

She sat down near the sheer drop with her worn Converse clad feet dangled over the edge. The words to the song that was now playing seemed so perfect at the moment.

_I hear the waves crash far below; _

_The rocks are leaping for the sky_

_They're starving for the air,_

_For a bone to break,_

_A dream to smash apart,_

_But I don't care._

She looked over the cliff's edge wondering if she'd die if she'd fall over.

_It looks deep enough from here,_

_I'm diving._

_This cliff has been well worn by ignorance._

_It looks deep enough from here;_

_I'm diving._

_They float face down_

_They all look so content._

_I don't know why I'm even here;_

_Guess I'm afraid to be alone._

She wrapped her arms around her legs and rested her chin on her knees. The water below did look deep enough for someone to fall and survive, but then again there were rocks down there. Her powers were faintly telling her to back away from the edge. She slightly wondered if the future would ever contact her. Would she ever be of any importance to anyone? Why was she even there?

_And down below I see my crew,_

_They look okay,_

_That can't be blood,_

_The water here is far to blue;_

_And gravity seems far away,_

_But I can hear her call my name._

She closed her eyes and saw her parents and Rasha again behind her lids. She saw them and wished to stop thinking all together. Why wouldn't her mind stop?

_It's s comforting to know _

_I'll never have to think again._

_It looks deep enough from here;_

_I'm diving._

_This cliff has been well worn by ignorance._

_It looks deep enough from here;_

_I'm diving._

_We float face down,_

_But don't we all look so content._

She grasped the sides of her head and started to rock back and forth.

It wasn't fair!

Why did she have to be the chosen one?

Why was she all alone?

Why did she have so many things that penetrated her tired mind?

Couldn't this just stop?

She nearly screamed in frustration. The guitar solo faded and the pink streaks were starting to fade so she stood up and made her way down to the sandy bottom of the beach to sleep.

* * *

The colors in the sky had nearly faded completely from the sky. Trip had stopped finally and sat in the sand blankly staring at the waves. Their sound was comforting to him.

He thought of going back to the tower, but couldn't bring himself to move.

It was so peaceful and his mind finally slowed with the small visions of a girl with purple hair and powers.

"Hello there ranger," Trip heard someone say behind him.

He whipped around to come face to face with Ransik. He looked startled for a moment but immediately got up and went into a fighting stance.

"What do you want Ransik?" Trip asked looking menacingly at his enemy.

"You have an interesting power, Ransik said taking a step closer. "I was hoping that you'd agree to let me help you develop it further."

"I don't need your help," Trip snarled. He had known that he was the one of two chosen beings destined to save Earth. He had known since he was born but he never wanted the weight to bear.

"I'll have to take you by force then," Ransik said with a small smile. Unnoticing to the young ranger Intersepticore stood behind him.

He pulled out a small ray gun and shot it at the Xybrian.

Taken by surprise, Trip didn't have time to run.

The ray hit him and he fell.

* * *

It was almost midnight at the clock tower and the rangers were getting worried. Trip hadn't responded his COM link and Circuit couldn't find his tracking device anywhere.

Katie was silent and when anyone said anything to her she would just yell.

"Katie it's probably just a misunderstanding and he's just gone out to think. We'll talk to him when he get back and find out what's bothering him," Wes said gently.

"Yeah, Wes is right. Trip will be back soon, Katie. He's smart and can take care of himself," Jen added.

"I bet Eric told him something," Lucas muttered fixing his hair again.

"I don't know guys," Circuit said. "I've known Trip my whole life and he's never done something like this no matter how upset he is."

"I know Trip better than any of you," Katie said angrily turning to her fellows. "I know when something is wrong and I know when something has happened to him. When you've been best friends with a Xybrian for many years you just know these things. Guys something is wrong… I know it."

"Hey, maybe it's something the captain said. That was the reason Trip stayed here today," Jen said. "Circuit do you know how to replay messages on the holophone?"

"Yeah hold on, Jen," Circuit said flying over to the machine. He hit a few keys then they saw the captain's face appear on screen.

They watched horrified at what the captain said. They could only imagine Trip's reaction…

"Why would the captain say something like that?" Wes asked.

"He didn't…" Circuit said suddenly. "This message looks like it's been tampered with. I may be able to get to the underlying message.." he muttered tapping random buttons.

The screen flashed and they saw a new mutant appear on their holoscreen.

"Hello rangers," he said laughing. "I am Intersepticore and your little green friend should be in the hands of Ransik by the time you figure this out. You haven't seen the last of me…"

The screen shut off and his laughter faded.

The rangers could only stare there were no words for them now only hateful thoughts and plots to find their friend.

"This isn't good…" Wes muttered.

* * *

A/N: More reasons next chapter.The song thatLera was listening to was by Thrice.

Again thanks mustgo out toLowVoice for having me start this fic and letting me use Lera! I didn't really proofread this too well so be kind about that. Please review!

Thankies!

TheDudeLordOfFantasy a.k.a. Kathleen


	3. Play Your Part

Disclaimer: Yet again I say I still don't own TFPR or Trip (who is the coolest ranger there is, was and ever will be) I just am the owner of Intersepticore.

* * *

Lera had another weird dream that night.

This time she was sitting on the beach looking up at the star filled sky when suddenly a large fiery thing flew across the sky. It looked like a UFO and she ran after it. She ran and ran and ran until she was no longer on the beach but miles away in a swamp. She hid behind a large tree as the door to the craft opened with a loud hiss.

The man who tried to strangle her from her previous dream stepped out flanked by a pale girl with pink hair wearing a white skin-divulging outfit and a gold robotic device with a long black cape.

They started to say things to each other but the only sound Lera made out was the girl's loud squeal of delight. And Lera did the only thing she could think of.

She bolted out of the forest as fast as she could and ended up on the beach again panting. She fell to her knees and looked back up at the sky. It was still dark but the sun was slowly showing itself near the horizon.

Then another craft flew across the sky but it didn't go as far as the other one did. It landed barely feet away from her and she had to cover her eyes to protect them as sand flew and caught in her hair. Once it stopped she stood and ran behind a pile of rocks at the edge of the coast just in case more evil people came out of this ship.

The large piece of metal was steaming and fire was scattered around it. There was movement as the door to this shuttle opened and Lera watched as the man from her other dream ran out followed by a pale brunette woman, a dark woman, a tan man with dark hair, and a flying blue electronic birdlike object. He was carrying a few large yellow cases and she had the urge to run to him but she held her ground.

The ship behind them suddenly exploded and now she knew why they were hurrying so quickly away from it. The blast knocked the people off their feet and the fell to the ground not moving.

Lera woke with a start.

Trip was in that dream too and so was that man.

Why did she keep dreaming about them?

Who were they?

She was about to try and get back to sleep again because she knew that she hadn't been asleep for more than a few hours when she heard a loud beeping sound coming from somewhere around her wrist.

She sat straight up and looked at the communication device on her arm. One of its buttons was lit up orange. She pressed it.

Maybe this was the call she was waiting for.

A holographic projection of a person appeared coming out of the device. He was a middle-aged man with his hair slicked back.

"Why hello Lera." The man's tone was gruff and businesslike. "I haven't seen you in a long time. I'm Captain Logan form the year 3000. Where is your Aunt Rasha?"

"She died a few months ago," she said quietly staring in awe at what was happening. The future was finally contacting her.

"I'm sorry, but the future needs your help. A notorious mutant criminal has escaped custody and our censors are unable to locate him because of a cloaking device he has assembled. Only someone like you can help capture him." He paused for a few seconds letting Lera take in all the information until he continued. "Will you help us?"

She couldn't speak. All of this was happening too fast. Her powers were finally going to be of some use to someone.

"Of course!" she exclaimed barely containing her joy.

No more sleeping on the streets.

No more going to bed hungry.

No more being alone.

She'd finally be of use.

Logan smiled. "Tomorrow night you will be contacted again. You'll learn more then but there is something I must tell you now. I must warn you that this criminal, Ransik, mustn't be taken lightly. He is one of the most dangerous felons of our time. You must be careful when confronting him."

"Yes sir," she said enthusiastically.

"I'll speak to you tomorrow evening."

The connection was cut leaving Lera to wonder about the future and she forgot all about her dream.

* * *

Trip awoke with a jerk. His head hurt terribly and it took him a moment to remember what had happened.

Then everything flooded back to him. The captains message, Ransik, the ray gun, everything came back to his aching mind.

He tried to move his arms but found that he was unable to move any of his limbs. It was then that he noticed his wrists were chained to the wall above his head and his feet were shackled at the ankles. The room was made out of some sort of metal. It could've been steel or maybe even lead. There was also a thin metal band around his head. He wasn't sure what it did; he hadn't seen that type of technology before.

Before he began to think of a way out he wasn't able to think of anything. His thoughts were jumbled together making it impossible to concentrate. His musings went from how to escape to how to make the perfect waffles.

He felt his head suddenly throb painfully as if an electric current had just been sent up his spine to his brain. He bit back a cry of pain as another jolt followed the first. Then another followed that and so on causing him to finally gave into the pain.

Limply he hung there as his mind was lost into the darkness of unconsciousness.

* * *

"We have to go out and find him," Katie yelled at Wes and Jen.

I was 10 in the morning and there had been no news of Trip. Lucas didn't want to get in Katie's face so he was across the room doing his hair and monitoring the holophone.

"Katie we don't know where he is," Jen said frustrated. "It's almost impossible to just suddenly find him in this city. They might not have caught him yet."

"We know that he'll be in trouble soon if he isn't all ready!"

Wes tried breaking in the argument. "Guys please we are all worried about Trip just calm down."

"Stay out of it!" Katie yelled turning on Wes.

"Don't yell at him he hasn't done anything. He's just trying to help!" Jen yelled at Katie.

"The only way we can help Trip is to find him!" Katie yelled back at Jen.

"We can't find Trip until he sets his tracker back on," Jen said unsteadily trying to calm down.

"He would never turn his tracker off! Something has happened to him!" Katie yelled in hysterics.

"Katie, calm down!" Wes yelled over the woman's shrill voice.

"Wes, leave me alone! I only want to know that Trip is safe!" she yelled at him.

"Well, we all do, but yelling does no good!" Wes yelled at her.

"You should talk!"

"Will all of you just shut up!" Lucas yelled looking at all of them with disgust. "Would you just listen to yourselves for one moment. Just chill out or spread out because I am tired of this!"

They all looked at each other with looks of pure hatred on their faces, then they turned directly around and sat in separate corners of the room.

They sat that way for almost ten minutes when the holophone started beeping.

"Hey guys! There's a message coming in from Captain Logan," Lucas called to the others who came rushing over to see.

"Good morning, Rangers," the captain said in his usual greeting. "Today you are to have another join your group…"

There was an uneasy silence as the captain noticed that they were missing a teammate.

"You lost Trip didn't you." He said it quietly; it wasn't a question it was a statement.

Solemnly they nodded.

"We'll get him back, don't worry," Jen said briskly. "What about this new arrival?"

Katie glared at her but kept her tongue. No reason in losing her composure in front of her superior.

"Well actually, Jen, she's been living here for almost her entire life. Her aunt brought her here as an infant because her government would've used her powers wrongly. She's from the planet Thista and was prophesized to be one of the two chosen ones. I'm sending you a photo now."

A picture of a girl around their age with long purple hair and emerald eyes appeared on one side of the screen. She was wearing ragged street clothes. The image pivoted on one half of the screen as the captain's head took up the other half.

"You are to meet her on the beach. She said she'd stay put so you should be able to find her. You'll understand more when you locate her. You are to bring her back to the tower and never let her out of your sight. Understood?"

"Yes, sir," they said quietly in unison.

"Sir," Jen said quickly before their connection was severed. "Who is the second of the two chosen ones? Do we know them?" She felt like the captain was keeping something from her.

"Yes…" he said quietly. "You know him, but I fear that I cannot tell you right now. It's not time. Everything will make sense soon enough, just make sure you get to the girl before Ransik does."

* * *

"Are you even sure we're going in the right direction?"

"There is no direction, Jen," Wes said testily. His leader had been asking him if there were going the right way for twenty minutes and it was starting to get dark. "The Captain just said that she'd be on the _beach _and we're on the _beach_. Apparently the _beach _in the future is a very very small one!"

It went quiet again and the waves were heard quietly lapping against a combination of quiet shore and the rocky cliffs that surrounded them

"Why couldn't he have been more specific in her location?" Lucas wondered frustrated at this tedious searching attempt. "We have better things to do, like looking for Trip. Did you guys see his face when he realized that Trip wasn't with us?"

"Yea," Wes said quietly. "He definitely knows something we don't…"

"Well, duh!" Jen said loudly. "He's in the future and knows everything that'll happen until our time, Wes."

Katie was yards in front of them. She had been usually quiet ever since the Captain's contact. She hadn't said a word and kept far ahead from the rest ever since.

"I wonder who the other "chosen one" could be," Lucas said aloud. "The Captain said we know them but, I don't remember any powerful being I might've met through the years."

"Yea…"

Wes wasn't paying him any attention though, because Katie had just stopped and stared at the sand in front of her. She turned back to them and they all stopped.

She opened her mouth and pointed to something front of her.

"I think we found her…"

* * *

The blue volts of energy were increasing in number and it was taking all of Trip's strength to keep his eyes focused on the cold stone floor. He didn't even have the energy to fully inspect his surroundings. All he saw was stone…

"Why hello there green ranger," Ransik said entering the stone chamber from a door in the far wall that Trip didn't even realize was there. He spat the word "ranger" with disgust. "How are you on this lovely afternoon?" He smiled crookedly showing his disgusting teeth.

Trip barely able to lift his own gem-clad head spoke in a weakened tone, "What do you want with me?"

"I told you." He sighed quietly and smiled even more evilly. "You have a gift and I want to help you fully discover the warrior within you."

"What are you talking about?" Trip asked painfully. "I'm useless when it comes to fighting."

The volts were growing in size now as well and Trip, unable to hold back the building scream, let it loose in a throat ripping cry that tore at his vocal chords.

"Ransik, please," Trip pleaded out of options now. He moved his head upwards to look into the face of his tormentor not caring at how his pained neck muscles refused.

"You and I similar in a way, we both aren't human. You know that I am an alien Xybrian. I know how you feel. Always being stared at, and the constant words being said behind your back just loud enough for you to hear them. Ransik, I know why you hate the humans but I over came their hate for me. Why did you become like this?"

Ransik's smile faded away into a look of hate and fury. He looked at him like he wanted to destroy him for bringing back all those memories of his tortured past.

"Their hate destroyed me, made me who I am," Ransik said turning towards the door.

"No Ransik. I can see it in your eyes when you look at Nadira. You love your daughter. There is good in you I know it."

"Be quiet!" Ransik roared turning back to the weakened alien in front of him. "We're monsters compared to the humans! That's all we'll ever be to them!"

He took the few steps needed in order to reach his captive then took hold of his orange windbreaker and shoved him into the wall, pinning him there.

"We may be the same in some ways, but we chose our paths differently…" he breathed into Trip's face. "We can't change that…" He let go of the cloth and the green ranger sagged once again into the position he once held.

"I used to act like you," Trip said unable to lift his head or open his eyes. "I used to think like you do now." He paused and gasped as another jolt ripped through his body.

"I grew up with people who beat me up everyday, taunted me, and eventually killed my parents just for knowing that my family was different!" Trip was telling him this to try and make him understand how much he went through and was still at peace with the humans. "Why can't you understand that your not the only one who was hurt by their kind?"

Ransik turned and walked back to the door. "We should do something about it then…" was all Trip heard besides the door slam.

After gasping there in silence Trip mustered up all his strength and tried once more to pull against the chains that held him captive only to fall victim to another jolt of electricity.

Alone in a dark cold room he let himself go…

* * *

A/N: Wow... that took forever... review if you loved it... review if you hated it...

Any sort of feedback is now welcome!

THANKIES!

TheDudeLordOfFantasy a.k.a. Kathleen


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